Chandler Murphy allowed a run two batters into the game on Sunday evening, but retired the next 15 batters he faced, leading the Charleston RiverDogs to a 6-3 win over the Fredericksburg Nationals at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The RiverDogs went 2-4 in the six-game series. A crowd of 3,687 took in the Mother’s Day contest.
Fredericksburg (22-11) scored the first run of the game just two batters into the ballgame. Marcus Brown worked a leadoff walk and immediately raced around the bases to score on Jeremy De La Rosa’s double down the left field line. It was the rehabbing left fielder’s fourth double of the series.
The RiverDogs (13-18) were in attack mode early, scoring in each of the first three innings against Fredericksburg starter Travis Sthele. The first three batters of the game reached safely. Narciso Polanco singled but was caught stealing in short order. Adrian Santana and Tre’ Morgan walked in the next two at-bats and then executed a double steal. Angel Mateo evened the score with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Noah Myers and Carlos Colmenarez opened the second inning with consecutive singles as well. With men on the corners, Ricardo Gonzalez rolled into a 6-3 double play as another run crossed the plate. Raudelis Martinez made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the third.
The two-run advantage held until the seventh, when the margin widened. Tyler Baca dropped Polanco’s fly ball to left field for a two-base error that began the inning. Santana followed with a double and Morgan singled to make it 4-1. Mateo worked a walk to load the bases with still nobody out. Martinez and Noah Myers hit a pair of sacrifice flies to increase the margin to 6-1.
Fredericksburg loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Armando Cruz was called for batter’s interference on a back-pick attempt by Martinez behind the plate to end the inning. Elijah Green blasted a two-run home run in the top of the ninth to reach the 6-3 final score.
Murphy earned the win by allowing one run on one hit in 5.0 strong innings. He struck out five. Dalton Fowler and Samuel Mejia combined to post 3.0 scoreless inning sin relief. Owen Stevenson surrendered two runs in his lone inning on the bump.
Polanco and Morgan paced the RiverDogs with two hits each, while Martinez drove in two runs. Green was 2-4 with a double and a home run for the Nationals.
Ballpark Fun
The RiverDogs rolled out all the stops for the moms in the crowd on Mother’s Day. In Doby’s Deck, the team offered massages and arts and crafts for children and their mothers. Kids Zone was also free in case parents needed a break from their kids for a moment. Moms were also invited to join their children running the bases after the game.
The RiverDogs will head to Columbia on Tuesday to open a six-game series with the Columbia Fireflies. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. RHP Gary Gill Hill (0-0, 3.00) is lined up to work game one for the RiverDogs against Columbia LHP Hunter Patteson (2-2, 3.65).
The RiverDogs continue their hunt for a fourth-consecutive Carolina League championship in 2024. The full schedule of games is available here.
Charleston 6, Fredericksburg 3
May 12, 2024
Click here for the box score
Fredericksburg (R-H-E): 3-3-1
Charleston (R-H-E): 6-8-0
Win: Murphy (1-0)
Loss: Sthele (0-3)
Save: None
HR: Fredericksburg: Elijah Green (4, 9th inning, 1 on base)
HR: Charleston: None
